Odds and Ends
by scottie994
Summary: Karin has finally moved out on her own, and if supporting herself wasn't hard enough, she now has an especially annoying new neighbour to deal with. Series of ficlets, HitsuKarin, AU
1. the one with the meltdown

Through the thin drywall that separated two small apartments, loud voices could be heard firing back and forth at one another, unending and consistently illegible. On the other side, a single woman in her early twenties stood before a large shelf, currently unpacking a box of books.

"Yes, I can afford it. I've already paid the rent, haven't I?" Karin was speaking exasperatedly, annoyed both by her neighbours and the conversation she was having and quite ready to toss her cellphone out the window. "Yes, Ichigo, I'm aware that rent is a monthly thing."

" _I'm just saying, having your own place is a lot of responsibility."_ Karin rolled her eyes, her phone held in place by her shoulder as she tore open another box of books. Her brother was being absolutely insufferable. " _I still don't understand why you wouldn't just stay here. It's not like you didn't have your own room and space. For free, I might add."_

"I'm twenty-three, Ichigo, it's time for me to take care of myself. Besides, you got married. It was bad enough mooching off you, I wasn't about to mooch off Rukia, too." Drawing a thick, heavy book from the box at her feet, Karin had an overwhelming urge to throw it at the wall in the futile hope of shutting her neighbours up for at least a minute. By the state the wall appeared to be in, it was more likely that the book would go straight through onto the other side. She placed it gently on the shelf. "I don't remember you being this way when Yuzu got _her_ own place," Karin continued, cutting her brother off before he could attempt to argue that her crashing in his guest room for several months wasn't 'mooching'.

" _Well, that's just a completely different situation, isn't it."_ Karin raised a brow, feeling her temperature rise. Leaving the unpacking go for a moment, she placed a hand on her hip and waited for him to continue. Her blank stare could burn a hole in the wall. " _For one, Yuzu has two roommates. That's already far safer and cheaper than you living by yourself in one of the most expensive areas in the city. Why you felt the need to live downtown is beyond me."_

"A lot of things are beyond you, Ichigo. Like being a supportive older brother, for instance. And the correct use of emojis."

" _I am supportive! I went apartment hunting with you, didn't I?"_ Karin ignored him as she shoved another handful of books onto the shelf, catching a bit of the argument going on between her neighbours and becoming mildly interested. ("Maybe if you gave me as much attention as you give your stupid fucking script this wouldn't have happened!" – "Yeah?! Well maybe if I'd known sooner that you were gonna turn into a lying cheating bitch I wouldn't be working so hard to pay for that stupid fucking ring on your finger!"). " _And I'm working on the emoji thing,"_ Ichigo added stubbornly _. "Rukia's teaching me."_

"Good to know you have your priorities in check," Karin muttered, her attention snapping back into focus. Looking around at the remaining two boxes of books she needed to unpack, keeping in mind the various other items in other boxes that needed to be unpacked elsewhere, she sighed. "I'm letting you go, Ichigo. I have a lot of stuff to do."

On the other end of the line, her brother stammered. "But– no, no, wait–'

"Don't worry, your other _more successful_ sister is cooking dinner at Dad's this weekend, you can continue judging my life choices then."

"Karin–'

Jabbing the 'end call' button with her thumb, Karin tossed her phone aside with a careless flick of the wrist and moved towards her tiny kitchen, the only area of her new place that was even remotely set up. She heard the definitive slam of a nearby door as she rinsed her coffee mug from earlier, a resounding silence following shortly after and nearly sending her into shock. She didn't think it was ever going to stop.

Filling her cup once again with the last of the coffee pot, Karin slipped on a pair of low tops and made her way out to the balcony. It was barely big enough for three people, much less a chair or two, but she was grateful for it all the same. The fresh air did its job to calm her, cool spring air whipping at her face as she leaned against the railing, her long black hair blowing behind her.

This particular bout of peace lasted all of two minutes, effectively ended when the neighbouring balcony's door slid open so forcibly it bounced back off its hinges with a loud crack, sending a shiver down Karin's spine and nearly causing her to lose her coffee to the street below. She jumped back from the railing with a start, her mug held tightly in both hands while she glared over at the next balcony, her eyes wide as saucers in surprise.

A tall frame of lank muscle came in the form of her neighbour, with a wild mess of silver hair and a rage so palpable it sent goosebumps up her arms. An oversized cardigan lashed about him as he presented himself with an award worthy meltdown, a rather large diamond ring sparkling in the sunlight as he placed it on the metal ledge of the railing and soon proceeded to smash it violently with a brick.

Karin watched on in amazement, her coffee growing cold from neglect. Several minutes passed before the man stopped, leaving a pile of mere shards and shimmering dust as he stepped back, his breathing heavy and dangerously uneven. A deafening silence ensued as the man stared blankly at what he'd done, the brick falling from his grip with an echoing _thunk_ at his feet while his shoulders slumped defeatedly.

"That looked expensive," she commented dully, unable to help herself. He didn't so much as stir at her words, and she nearly thanked the heavens that he hadn't heard her. But then, he laughed. A self-deprecating laugh if she'd ever heard one.

"Yep."

Karin sent her gaze elsewhere, her brow furrowed momentarily. Casting him another glance, she smirked. "You should've went for the half-carat, at least. I hear that's the lying cheating bitch cut."

To her surprise, he actually laughed. A sad, genuine whisper of sound. "You heard that, did you?"

"It was kinda hard not to."

He looked at her then, a vacant expression washing over him, and she found herself fixated on his face. He had the most vivid blue eyes she'd ever seen on anyone, but they were dim, weighed down by large dark circles and a sickly complexion. He looked very much like someone whose life had just been shattered.

"I haven't seen you around before," he told her, his gaze slightly narrowed. The way in which he acknowledged her then had her choking on butterflies. "Are you new?"

Karin swallowed, fiddling with the half-moon pendant that laid across her collarbone. "Yeah," she said, clearing her throat. "Moved in a few days ago."

The man raised his brows, nodding slightly. He glanced around for a moment then, a smirk ghosting his lips as he looked to her again. "Well then, welcome to the building," he said, his tone that of mock theatrics and grandeur. "I'm Hitsugaya Toushiro, your graceful and composed neighbour."

"Oh, is that what you're going by?" He shrugged, not seeming to care that he was barefoot and covered in coffee stains. Karin laughed. "Well, in that case, I'm Kurosaki Karin. I'm _very_ adept at social cues and definitely do not eavesdrop on other people's arguments."

Hitsugaya smirked. "Good to know."

Karin cast him a grin, her cheeks burning as his gaze lingered, and then he appeared to consider the situation as a whole, glancing about him with a gradually falling expression. He turned away with a slight stagger, moving towards the door. "It was nice meeting you, Kurosaki," he said, sliding the door open. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink until I pass out."

Karin frowned, chewing her lip as she watched him disappear. "Nice to meet you too…"

* * *

 **A/N:** I don't know what this is. Let's say it's just a series of connected ficlets surrounding these two being neighbours. I'm currently working on updates for my other stories, but they're all rather draining, and at times very very depressing and it's not a good time, so here's some lighter hearted stuff, where I can write little snippets when I feel like it and don't have this huge daunting plot to plan out. Maybe like a really loose chronological plot that may lead to something someday, I don't know, I'm just gonna enjoy it as it goes. I hope you all do too! Your reviews give me life. I love you all~


	2. i hear your sorrow and wish youd shut up

Karin worked at a busy coffee shop downtown, where the people were aspiring and professional and the tips were decent. Following a particularly busy Monday afternoon, she took her time walking home from work, soaking in the nice weather and stopping around the corner for a frozen yogurt. She'd almost say it was a great day, spring rising her out of her past winter blues.

At least, she _would've_ said that, until she got home.

Her building was short, old, and crumbling, squished onto a loud crowded street between a run down convenience store and an even greasier pub. Her landlord and his daughter ran a small seafood market out of the ground floor onto the sidewalk, leaving just a side door and creaking narrow staircase for the tenants. Karin found at least five faulty steps going up.

Passing by the sounds of crying children and fruitless arguments that occupied the two units on the second floor, Karin continued up to the top floor. Halfway up was where her day turned sour, when the low hum of a very familiar record of the deepest blues began to swell her eardrums, irritating her instantly. She hung her head, a groan escaping her as she continued up the stairs, stomping her feet as she went.

It had been just over a week since she'd met Hitsugaya Toushiro, from their respective balconies following an incredible emotional meltdown on his part, and while she'd expected there to be some sadness and distress following the very apparent split from his fiance, she had not expected to be so terribly aware of it. However, thanks to the pathetic excuse for a wall that separated her apartment from his, she'd played victim to his overwhelmingly depressing record collection for the past eight days straight.

Drawing her keys from her pocket, Karin rolled her eyes at her neighbour's door. She could sympathize with him for the first few days, but at this point she was about ready to barge in and smash his record player with a hammer.

* * *

The next day was relatively silent, at least in regards to her despairing neighbour. After blaring his music until about three in the morning, Karin happily assumed he was still asleep.

Mid-afternoon, as she was getting ready to leave for work, an incessant knocking began on Hitsugaya's door, and shortly after the sound of a bottle hitting the floor echoed through the wall, the stumbling shuffles of her neighbour waking up following after. The knocking continued.

"Toushiro!" a woman's voice boomed, startling Karin into a shudder of goosebumps. "I will knock this door off its hinges, I swear!"

Karin felt almost too uncomfortable to leave, now.

"Ignore the hostility, Shiro!" another girl's voice called, much softer and clearly younger. "We're here to help!"

Stepping out into the hallway following a long bout of hesitance, Karin found the two women arguing amongst themselves, exchanging loud whispers over opposing tactics. The older one, tall and beautiful with strawberry-blonde hair that blazed against the grimy walls, let out a huff, ignoring the younger girl in favour of continuing to bang on the door. In turn, the other girl sighed, her shoulders drooping as she cast about a glance, her large brown eyes quickly landing on Karin. She rolled her eyes, wholly unimpressed with her companion, and Karin simply smiled, sliding her key out of her now locked door and heading down the hallway.

She prayed they were there to take him to an institution.

* * *

Arriving home late that night, Karin was once more bombarded with the melancholic drone of Hitsugaya's seemingly unending pity party, and finally she'd had enough. Unlocking her apartment solely to toss her bag inside, Karin braced for conflict, placing herself purposely in front of his door and proceeding to bang her fist against it so hard and consistently it began to hurt.

After a few minutes, he actually opened the door. Looking ten times worse than he did when she first saw him, regarding her with a bleary once over and a swaying posture, he scowled.

"The hell are you doing?" he snapped, using his doorknob as a crutch.

Karin glared at him. "What does it look like I'm doing?!"

"Being a pain in my ass," he told her flatly, raising a brow. "Do you know how late it is?"

"Do you?"

He rolled his eyes, pulling back and slamming the door close. Karin just stood there, gawking.

Anger boiling, she began to bang on the door again. "Hitsugaya!" she bellowed, striking the door harder as he turned up the volume. "If you don't turn this godforsaken music off I'm calling the landlord!"

The music persisted, and Karin huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Calling him now, then," she told him, her voice raised and even. "Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll evict you on grounds of domestic disturbance. Psychological damage on my part, even. You hardly seem like the most pleasant person to deal with, so I'm sure he'll take my side over yours. Not to mention the other tenants that have to be as annoyed as I am." She stood quite still, stubborn as she held her ground, waiting for a reaction. "Dialing…"

At last, the door opened again, and greeting her once again was Hitsugaya's tired scowl. He looked her up and down, frowning as he realized she lacked a cellphone. "Liar."

"Pest," she shot back, barely giving him time to grunt in response before she pushed past him, entering his apartment of her own volition. The place with cloaked in darkness, and she slapped the lights on instantly, much to the resident's dismay.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Taking these," she said simply, making her way across the room to where his record player and albums lay, switching the music off immediately. Several records lined a large shelf, so she assumed the ones strewn about the table and floor were the culprits to her brewing insanity, and gathered them all up. Hitsugaya watched on confusedly from where he barely stood straight, and she cast him a steely look. "You'll get them back when you become a person again."

"You can't just take my stuff," he argued, his face twisted with dismay. "Let alone barge into my home uninvited."

"You'll thank me later," she told him matter-of-factly, ignoring his glower. She looked around at his apartment, frowning at the mess of empty liquor bottles and take out containers, the sofa he'd clearly been sleeping on left dishevelled with linens and pillows. "You really need to clean this place up. And shower."

"Did my aunt set you up to this?" he asked suspiciously. "Or my sister?"

"Are they the girls banging on your door this afternoon?"

"So you did meet them. I knew it."

Karin shot him a look. "Oh fuck off," she spat. "I'm not ' _conspiring'_ with your family against you. Though it is pretty rude of you to ignore them."

He rolled his eyes, approaching her at a stagger. "Can you just leave, please? And give me back my records."

"No can do," she said, sliding out of his way. He sighed, exhausted by every movement. "Unlike you, I have a stable mind to maintain. And if I hear one more fucking song off any of these albums, I'm going to lose it and probably kill you."

"Sounds good to me."

She scowled. "Look, I'm sorry your fiance turned out to be a lying cheating bitch, but you have got to get over it. And wallowing in your apartment by yourself, drinking your liver to death, isn't gonna help any."

He gave her a rather hollow look, but instead of pity, she felt annoyed. With his confiscated records held to her chest, Karin made to leave.

"Get your shit together, please," she begged in flat, stopping briefly at the door to regard him once more. Her expression turned sly with a smile. "I might like to find you attractive again."

Leaving him slightly surprised, Karin closed the door between them before he could catch the flush of her cheeks.

...

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry guys! I know I said I wasn't gonna be committed to this, but jesus, I should update once in a while at least. But y'know, life has been happening, and when it's not I've been focusing on my (favourite) other story, _the darkness comes with you,_ so I haven't been completely unproductive.

Anyway, hope you liked it, and look forward to your feedback! Laters~


	3. is this where i like you?

Karin was late.

Snoozing well past all three of her alarms, she woke with a start. Scrambling out of bed at breakneck speed, Karin tore around her bedroom, throwing off her t-shirt in exchange for her uniform and grabbing the nearest bra and pair of socks she could find, her entire wardrobe still a disorganized mess in a suitcase. She dressed quickly, buttoning up her shirt on the way to the bathroom where she proceeded to brush her teeth while on the toilet, and then used her remaining spare time to primp her eyebrows.

Makeup was a complete non-factor that day, and she couldn't even be bothered to deal with her hair, pulling it up into a terrible knot-ridden bun. She circled back to her room for her phone, grabbing her tote bag and apron off the floor. Lastly, she put on her shoes, refusing to untie the laces even though it would've made it easier to shove her feet in them, and out she went.

She locked her door quickly, her feet thumping loudly along the stained carpet as she proceeded down the hallway. Rounding onto the stairs with a hitched breath, she made it about halfway down the first flight before she stopped, a mess of silver hair invading her peripheral and shifting her focus. He was lanky and staggering, his head dipped back as he chugged his coffee, the full weight of his body stacking every stomp of his feet up the stairs.

Her heart swelled slightly at the sight of him, and she smiled.

"He lives!" she accosted grandly, throwing her hands up.

Hitsugaya grunted. "Let's not jump to conclusions," he said flatly, wedging the looks of a manuscript under his arm before removing his sunglasses. He came to a stop one step beneath her, quirking a brow over a tired glare and sunken dark circles. Still, he looked better. "You look rushed."

"Sorry?"

"Your face," he told her bluntly, inclining his head. "It's very pink. Not to mention your eyes bulging out of your skull, and the fact that you can't breathe properly."

"Er – right." Karin made a face, clearing her throat. "I'm late for work, actually."

He nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Ah, well, how nice of you to give me the time of day, despite your hurry." His lips curled at the corner, a crooked grin fixing his face. " _Curious_ , rather."

Karin scowled. "Yeah, well, it's not very often you see a vampire in the daytime, so."

They each made a face, sneering at one another before parting ways. Karin was going to have to run to work at this point, her chest seizing anxiously as she continued down the steps.

"By the way," Hitsugaya drawled, making her pause at the landing. He'd already reached the top of the stairs, leaning over the banister to look down at her. His smirk set her skin on fire. "You may want to button up a little."

Karin glanced at her chest, her cheeks flushing an even deeper pink. Of all days not to take a last look in the mirror, it would be the one where she'd forgotten to do the top four buttons on her shirt, leaving the bright red bra she wore underneath glaringly visible. She made quick work of fastening the rest of the buttons, her heart thrumming in her chest.

"Not that I'm complaining," he added.

She gaped at him.

* * *

By the time Karin got home from work that evening, she was exhausted. And to add to that, her brother was with her.

"Someone's gonna fall through those stairs some day," Ichigo was saying when they reached the landing, an unimpressed frown marring his face.

"Probably," Karin said in turn, shrugging. She shot him a look. "You gonna fix those, too?"

Ichigo scowled. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not," she drawled sarcastically, leading the way down the hall. She slid a glance to Hitsugaya's door as she passed, drawing her keys from her bag absentmindedly. Once they were inside her apartment, Karin let out a sigh. "Alright, have at it," she told him, leaving her shoes and bag at the door. "I left everything around where I want them hung up, if you get to it."

Leaving her brother with his toolbox and can of plaster, Karin went for a shower. Returning to the living room fifteen minutes later, she found him crouched on the floor, fixing a rather large hole in the wall where it looked as though someone had kicked it in. Judging by the confused scowl on his face and the hesitant manner in which he applied the plaster, she easily confirmed her suspicion that he had no idea what he was doing.

Giving her hair one last shake through with the towel, she draped the towel over the back of a chair and went to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of beer. She placed one on the floor beside Ichigo before taking her own out to the balcony, relishing the fresh air and pre-sunset sky as she drank.

"Hey, Red."

Karin sputtered, reeling back. Toushiro had stepped onto his own balcony, coffee mug in hand as he leaned against the railing closest to her, his gaze set elsewhere. She fumed.

" _Perv._ "

Toushiro laughed, taking a sip from his mug. "I could've let you go out in public like that," he told her, a tone of practiced arrogance. "Take that into account."

"That you're an unreliable tool?" she quipped, quirking a brow. "Noted."

His grin remained, and Karin grunted, an arm crossed over her chest as she continued to drink her beer. Still, she watched him in her peripheral, subtly appreciating his face, the newfound softness of his features. Within her quiet scrutiny, the glaze to eyes became apparent, the soft pink tinge painting his cheeks, and she leered.

"That's not coffee, is it?"

"Of course it is," he vouched, bringing the mug to his lips for another gulp. He swallowed smoothly, smacking his lips. "It's just got liquor in it."

Karin laughed, a cross between a scoff. "So I take it you're still numbing the pain?"

"If by that, you mean am I still upset about my fiancé cheating on me, then yes. I am." Karin merely nodded, holding her tongue as she returned to her beer. In turn, Toushiro shifted around to face her. "You know, for someone who knows next to nothing about me, you seem awfully concerned with my well being."

Karin took a moment, mulling over his words as she sipped her beer. In the end, she shrugged. "I guess I just don't see the point in grieving over someone who doesn't deserve it," she said easily, meeting his gaze, the surprised flash across his face. "Or you, for that matter."

He raised a brow. "What makes you so sure?"

She'd drawn herself closer, leaning back into the corner of her balcony. Again, she was noncommittal. "Instinct, maybe."

He simply smiled, adamant not to by the twitch of his mouth, hiding his face in his coffee mug. A moment later, the door in front of Karin slid open, and Ichigo stuck his head out.

"Did you know that there aren't any batteries in the smoke detector?"

Karin blanked, tilting her head to the side. "I do now."

Ichigo frowned, wholly unimpressed. To her dismay, he zeroed in on Toushiro. "You the neighbour?" he asked, jutting his chin in acknowledgement.

Toushiro straightened up, clearing his throat. "Er – yeah."

"Well, does _your_ smoke alarm work?"

"Um…" His face screwed up, brow furrowed in uncertainty. "Yes?"

Ichigo just shook his head, shooting them both a glare of disapproval. "You're both gonna burn to death," he told them, sincerely, before disappearing back into the apartment. In his absence, they both just laughed.

Karin hung her head, shaking it in mild exasperation. "And that lovely creature was my brother," she announced, in no way with pride.

"Yeah," Toushiro nodded, leaning against the railing once again. "I can see the resemblance."

Karin scoffed, sure that she should be offended. "I can punch you from here, you know."

He smirked. "I bet."

She scowled, pushing off the railing. "Bye," she said abruptly, crossing the three feet of space to the door and disappearing inside, feigning disinterest.

Later, she'd knock on his door, once, twice, and three times before dashing back through her own, and he'd find his confiscated records laying on the hallway floor.

* * *

 **A/N:** thank you very much for all the follows, favs and reviews, they're very much appreciated and definitely keep this on my priority list. Hope you like~~


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